Mumbai, once recognised as Bombay is the city with a mix of all cultures from across the country. In this multicultural and multiethnic city, people celebrate Diwali, Pateti, Mount Mary's feast and much more

MUMBAI, ONCE known as Bombay is one of the most famous cities of India, the enterainment and financial capital of the country. Armoured with a mix of lot of cultures and ethnics, it is a multicultural and multiethnic city. People here celebrate Diwali, Pateti, Mount Mary’s feast and many more, all with the same amount of gusto and passion. Let us discuss some of Mumbai’s festivals in detail.

In
Focus

The Ganesh Chaturthi is one festival that is synonymous with Mumbai. It is celebrated between the months of August and September for a duration of ten days. In this festival, a procession of gigantic statues of Ganpati is carried. This procession involves loud chants of the song 'Ganpati Bappa Moriya'. The idols are then submerged in the sea. This process is called Visarjan. This is done on a particular beach in Mumbai in the Chowpatty Sea.

Gudi Padwa is another festival celebrated in Mumbai during the month of March or April. This festival takes place in accordance to the Hindu calendar. This celebration is referred to as the Maharashtrian New Year and this festival is devoted to Sahalivan, the potter’s son who overthrown the Gupta Dynasty of Malwa. This festival shows the commencement of the solar year of Hindu.

Another festival in Mumbai is the day of coconut. This day is dedicated to coconut. It is celebrated in August and the feast is called the Narial Purnima. The word Narial refers to coconut in Hindi. This depicts the end of the monsoon season. It is fisher folk who celebrates this festival. It is a sign that they can return to the sea.

This feast is also imperative for the Kolis who were the original natives of Mumbai. There is a session as a mark of good luck for Kolis. There are also garlands offered to make sure that the people who are going for a sea venture are safe. There is lighting, singing and dancing done in the village of Koli. This village is in front of the sea.

Since Mumbai has a vast Parsi population, the Parsi New Year is celebrated in August and so there is a large scale of celebration during this occasion. This marks the time when the Shahi Zoroastrian community landed in Persia.

All Christians in Mumbai get together for the celebration of the Mount Mary’s Feast. It is a week long celebration and this commences from the closest Sunday to September 8, the birth date of the Virgin Mary.

Janamashtmi is another big festival that is celebrated all over India. This festival is a tribute of the Lord Krishna. There are pots full of coins and curd put on the city streets.

The last festival to mention is the Diwali. This is the time when there are a lot of firecrackers in the city. This is a time when Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped.